Abandoned Hearts
by Wild.West.author7
Summary: It's been 6 years since Josh Faraday walked out on Myra without an explanation. Six long years of humiliation and heartbreak. So what happens when he walks back into her life asking for a favor? Myra knows he's not good for her but will her heart really ever be able let her move on?
1. Prologue

The wind blew gently through the small town, swinging the doors as a trio of men thundered through, kicking up dust in their wake as they traveled.

Two kids, no older than 10 and 12, watched them ride out of town, the girl holding her hat on her head while he boy shuffled the deck of cards in his hand absentmindedly, his arms hanging over the top rung of the fence she was perched on.

Neither spoke for a while, watching the riders in comfortable silence, save for the piano music drifting from the saloon.

"I'd like to be like them one day," the boy commented, jutting out his chin in the direction of the fading riders.

The girl watched him curiously, head tilted slightly. "They're outlaws, Josh," she reminded him and he shrugged.

"I know that. But they ain't afraid of no one and people respect 'em," he pointed out, counting the cards while she shook her head at him, smiling teasingly.

"You just want out of this town," she accused, pushing his shoulder lightly. His face reddened slightly and he ducked his head to hide it.

"You don't?" He asked and her smile faded. "I don't know," she shrugged, suddenly very interested in her hands, her blue eyes downcast.

"That's a damn lie and you know it." He snorted and she shot him a disapproving glance. "Don't cuss, Josh," she scolded and he rolled his eyes, facing forward again, both gazing out into the desert.

"Would you do it?" He asked quietly after a while and she looked up, watching the clouds before answering. "Maybe," she looked back at him, "would you?"

He kept his face turned forward, a longing look overcoming his features. "In a heartbeat."

Her face fell and he studied her out of the corner of his eye. "But not until I got you to come with," he added. She glanced up, surprised, a hopeful smile creeping onto her features. "Promise?"

He nodded, shoving the cards in his pocket. "Know why?" He questioned softly, standing on the bottom rung of the fence to move closer.

Her face flushed and she shook her head, her hair bouncing around her face. A mischievous grin split his face as he plucked her hat off her head.

"'Cause I like doing this too much," he grinned, hopping off the fence as she gaped at him.

"Joshua Faraday, you get back here and give that back!" She shouted, jumping down after him, his laugh carried to her by the breeze as he sprinted away.

"Catch me and maybe I will!"


	2. Chapter 1- Josh

Desperate to stay asleep, Josh fought against waking, trying to block out the sounds of the horses nickering and the leaves rustling in the tree above.

As he turned over, stalks of grass pricked his cheek, their earthy smell replacing the ghost of those in his dream.

With a resigned sigh, he sat up, lifting his hat off his saddle he'd been using as a pillow, and placing it on his head as he stretched, heaving himself to his feet.

He glanced around at their small camp, not surprised to see everyone else's saddles rolled and ready to go, save for Emma's, who still slept peacefully.

"Good to see you're up, Faraday, I was beginning to think Mrs. Cullen would wake before you," Sam commented, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip from his canteen.

Josh shrugged, pulling off his bandana and cleaning his gun. "I was in the middle of a dream. Something wrong?"

Vasquez chuckled. "Sí, Guerro. Cullen didn't tell us she and Teddy here haven't been to Rose Creek in 3 months. Who knows what's changed?"

"We need someone to go in and get us new information. I refuse to walk in blind and risk dying before the fight's even begun." Goodnight added. "We've agreed it can't be any of us. Bogue's gonna keep an extra close eye if he gets wind of our reputations, and Mrs. Cullen and Teddy made their reason for leaving pretty clear. We can't hire anyone, It'd be too risky." Billy, Sam, and Teddy nodded in agreement as Josh's thoughts drifted to a certain brunette.

"How far are we from Palestone?" he asked suddenly, lighting a cigarette as Sam glanced at him curiously. "Two days ride. One if you don't stop. What're you thinking?" he asked.

Josh shrugged, looking down at his boots. "I might know someone. She'll need a little convincing, though," he admitted, his cigarette hanging from his lips as he spoke.

"How much convincing? We don't got that much time," Teddy finally chimed in, wringing his hands anxiously. Josh glanced at him but ignored his statement, his full attention on Sam.

"Give me four days. Three to travel there and back, one to convince her." he pleaded, and Sam studied him for a moment, sharing a look with Goodnight.

"Give it a shot. He seems confident," he murmured and Sam nodded in agreement. "Alright. Get started now." He ordered, jerking his head towards Josh's horse.

Josh turned immediately on his heel, stomping out his cigarette with his heel before tacking and mounting Jack, his movements rushed and shaking with anticipation or anxiousness, he wasn't sure himself.

Sam twisted around to watch him as Josh cantered off, shielding his eyes from the sun. "Four days, Faraday! We can always find someone else if you can't convince her!" he called.

Josh heard him, but the pressure building in his chest prevented him from answering. He had no plans to fail to convince her. Not this time.


	3. Chapter 2- Myra

"Aunt Myra!" a soft voice cut through the harsh sounds of the bar, and a woman with blue eyes tracked the head of blonde curls from behind the bar as it weaved around the tables to reach her, earning a few curious glances.

"Grace Mallery, what the hell do you think you're doing? Just because I own the saloon doesn't mean you get to run on in here anytime you want," she scolded gently, setting a glass of whisky in front of the man she'd been serving at the bar before kneeling in front of her twelve-year-old niece. "Understand?" Myra asked seriously.

It had nothing to do with it being bad for business, these men could drink in the next town over if it bothered them that much, but for Grace's safety, she shouldn't be in here. Most of the men who came in were drifters with short tempers and nothing to lose; a gunfight could break out any second.

The young girl nodded and Myra's features softened, tucking a stray curl behind Grace's ear. "Now, Ms. Mallery, what can I do for you?" she smiled and Grace stretched on her toes to peer over the bar, grooves from countless knives etched into the dark wood.

"Mama said she wanted me to go see if Mr. Daniel is around. She wants to ask if our new dresses arrived yet," she explained.

Myra sighed softly. Daniel and her sister, Jolene, had a strained relationship. Almost as strained as the one between the two sisters themselves. Myra straightened up to scan the saloon, finally locating the blonde co-owner of the general store.

"Go tell your mother I'm asking him right now," she murmured. " but go out the back," she added quickly, and Grace nodded, pausing in the doorway. "Want me to tell her you said hello?" she asked softly.

Myra turned away, sadness tugging at her heart for the loss of closeness she used to share with her elder sister. "Only if you think she'd like to hear it," she said softly, wiping down the bar one last time.

Grace disappeared and Myra steeled herself to approach Daniel's poker game. Most of the men playing were locals, and this particular group never missed a chance to mock her. She grabbed a couple new shots of whisky before making her way over to the table, hoping they'd leave her be, but luck didn't seem to be on her side.

"Training the sheriff's daughter to be a whore like you? He ain't gonna like that," John, the sheriff's right-hand man, snickered as she set the glasses in front of them and she gazed coldly at him across the table.

"Don't call me that, I'm not a whore," she muttered. "And Tom can shove a stick of dynamite up his ass for all I care," she hissed, turning to Daniel. "I know you aren't working the store today, but Jolene sent Grace in to ask if you'd gotten in this week's shipment yet?" she asked apologetically as the rest of the group grumbled, Myra's blatant disrespect for her sister's husband igniting their tempers.

Daniel nodded, tossing his cards down. "I'm losing anyway, I'll go check now," he murmured, handing her enough money to pay for his drinks, leaving without another word.

Myra watched him go sadly. There was a time when she'd been able to call Daniel a friend, considered him a brother even. But that had been 6 years ago. Things changed.

"Better wrap it up, I may close early tonight," she snapped to the remaining men, having no intention of actually doing it, but wanting them gone nonetheless.

The rest of the evening passed quickly, nothing out of the ordinary happening, save for a fist fight she'd had to break up over a seat.

As closing time inched closer, the poker players got rowdier, drawing curious glances from the drifters once in awhile.

"How much?" John asked, leaning against the bar, lazily drawing his eyes over her as she cleaned a glass, only half paying attention to him.

"Three bits for the cheap stuff, four dollars for the good. You know that," she replied. Her guard was down, so lost was she in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize the rest of the group was snickering quietly.

"Any of you got three bits on you?" he called to the group, before turning his gaze back on Myra, his smile freezing her veins. "I think I just found a whore," he grinned, and her heart dropped, tears springing to her eyes. She turned her face away from him and the others, laughing hysterically, as she forced herself not to cry, not to let them see how much they hurt her.

He leaned further over the bar to continue, his voice dropping slightly. "So, tell me, how much did Faraday pay?" he smirked and fury, mixed with betrayal, shot through her body at the sound of his name. She turned angrily on him, jaw clenched, and stared him down. "Pay your tab and get the hell out," she growled. "We're closed."

John's eyes darkened with anger, but he slammed his money on the bar regardless, leaving with the others trailing behind.

Myra stood, shaking, behind the bar as she hung her head, anger quickly dissipating as sadness rolled through her body, her dark brown hair shielding the tears flooding her cheeks. She clamped her jaws shut to keep the sobs inside, trying to force herself to be strong, telling herself not to think about him.

She should've been used to it, should've been used to the humiliation, to the pain that accompanied Josh's name. It had been six goddam years after all.

But yet, she still wasn't. Still, just a slight mention of him sent her spiralling out of control, unable to keep her emotions in check.

She swiped at her cheeks roughly as she finally got the tears to subside and moved to count how much they'd paid her, dismayed to find they hadn't paid in full, but not surprised.

She let out a deep breath, glad her piano player hadn't worked that night. She blew out the lights in the saloon, and with feet almost as heavy as her heart, quietly padded to the second floor to her small room. She didn't bother changing, the task seeming too exhausting at that moment, flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She resisted the urge to pull the familiar scrap of paper out of the pocket of her skirt, weakly promising herself she'd throw it out someday. With a deep sigh, her resolve crumbled, and she slid the worn card out of her pocket, gently unfolding it with two fingers. The edge of the faded card was slightly torn and a ring from a glass shed set on it once cut across the queen's face and the heart in the bottom right corner.

She didn't know why she'd kept the damn thing all these years, but for some reason, she couldn't make herself get rid of it. She shook her head, silently cursing herself for being so weak, and tucked the card under a book on her bedside table, turning her back to it and shutting her eyes. As sleep eluded her, she imagined, not for the first time, what life would be like if she ever got the guts to leave town. But deep down she knew she'd never do it.


	4. Chapter 3- Josh

He never thought he'd end up back in this town.

When Josh rode off all those years ago, he thought he'd said goodbye to that part of his life, believing he'd never have to look back.

It was funny the way life worked out.

The second Palestone had come into view, Josh had the urge to turn back around, to forget it and tell the others that he must've gotten his towns scrambled(after all, alcohol changed all sorts of things).

And he probably would've left if it wasn't for Jacks heavy breathing and snorting. He pushed the instinct aside as he dismounted and guided him around to the back of the livery, tying him near a water trough.

He couldn't help but smile at the memories the town held. It hadn't been a terrible place to grow up, but it wasn't a great place to settle. Not for Josh anyway.

It was no wonder he'd turned out to be a drifter, with no father in the picture, he'd looked up to the other men in town as role models. Including the drifters who'd stop for a poker game and room before leaving again.

He absentmindedly patted Jack's shoulder as he got lost in his past for the first time in a while, allowing memories he'd pushed away to resurface, a far off gaze in his features while his eyes swept over the town.

The small cluster of houses belonging to the locals finally caught his eye, particularly the one closest to the town, reminding him why he was back to begin with.

He shook himself and set his jaw, silently berating himself for getting distracted. He wasn't here to reminisce; he had a job to do, he reminded himself as he followed the curved path on the edge of town to the house, the tree in the front yard swaying slightly with the breeze.

He climbed the porch steps, pausing to glance at the wooden railing he'd accidentally broke as a kid, chuckling at the memory. They hadn't been painted back then.

He firmly knocked on the white door, stepping back in surprise when it swung open to reveal a tall woman, her dark hair tied back, and eyes wide with recognition.

It took him a moment to realize it wasn't an older version of Myra, but her sister, Jolene, her brown eyes in contrast with Myra's green ones giving her away.

He gave her a confident smile, leaning his arm against the wood as she composed herself, her features morphing into a less than friendly look.

"What the hell are you doing back here? You're not welcome," she snapped, crossing her arms.

Josh opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated as a young girl with blonde hair came into view, her green eyes watching him curiously.

He swallowed, rethinking his response before recovering. "It's good to see you too, Jolene. I need to talk to Myra. Know where I could find her?" He smiled at the little girl and she returned it shyly before ducking back out of view.

Jolene stared at him silently and Josh shifted in discomfort. He could tell he wasn't welcome but finding Myra was a priority and he didn't know where else to look.

Jolene stepped back, her hand gripping the wood of the door as she shook her head, swinging it shut. "You should've never come back, Josh,"

Josh knocked again, a little more forcefully this time, annoyance beginning to show in his actions. "Come on, I just wanna know where Myra is. Jolene, seriously," he coaxed, talking through the door with his forehead pressed against his fist as he spoke.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think it's obvious you're not wanted here," a hard voice cut in from behind him and Josh sighed, casually resting his hand on his gun as he spoke.

"I forgot how damn nosy everyone in this town is," he chuckled humorlessly. "Look, this really doesn't concern you, so maybe you oughta just-" he broke off when he recognized the man below him, a grin splitting his face.

"Holy shit, Daniel?" He laughed, jogging down the steps to greet his childhood friend.

"Faraday, you son of a gun!" Daniel laughed, patting him firmly on the back as they hugged.

"How long has it been?" He asked, smiling as he stepped back.

"Too long, probably," Josh admitted, running his hands through his hair before replacing his hat back on his head.

"I'll say. I almost didn't recognize you with all that hair on your face, ever heard of a razor?" He grinned and Josh shook his head, a small smile gracing his face.

"Hey now, don't be angry just 'cause I need one and you don't," he shot back.

"Just like old times," Daniel chuckled, and Josh's smile faded.

"Danny, listen, it's good to see you, but I'm not back for good. I need a favor,"

Disappointment flooded Daniel's features, but he nodded, crossing his arms. "Sure, Josh, I'll help if I can," he assured him.

"I need to talk to Myra. It's important or I wouldn't be here. Your wife," he jerked his thumb towards the house. "Won't tell me for some reason. I just wanna talk to her," he pleaded.

Daniel jerked in surprise as Josh spoke. "My wife…? Jolene didn't.." he trailed off with a ragged sigh, tilting his head back to look at the sky.

"Joshua, boy, you have missed so much,0 he muttered, finally looking at Josh again, squinting in the sunlight. "First off, Jolene married Tom Mallery, not me."

Josh laughed, thinking it was a joke before realizing Daniel hadn't cracked a smile. "Wait, you mean the Tom Mallery? As in the one who tried to kiss Myra when we were 15 and the one that I beat in that huge poker game before I left? Jolene Starr married him?" He gaped.

Daniel nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Same one. And he's still insists you cheated and gets angry when people bring you up, so maybe we shouldn't be standing in front of his house." He suggested, and Josh nodded numbly, falling into step beside him.

"What else don't I know about?" He asked quietly, not really sure if he wanted to know. Daniel snorted.

"Tom's the sheriff now, and Myra…" he trailed off as Josh lit a cigarette, glancing at him hesitantly.

Josh stopped walking, pulling the cigarette from his lips. "Myra's what?" He demanded, realizing for the first time that there wasn't even a guarantee she was alive.

Daniel shrugged. "Myra's different now," he admitted and Josh let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Different how?" He pressed curiously, resuming his walking and occasionally taking a drag from his cigarette.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Danny shrugged again and got the sense he was withholding something from him.

"What, Daniel? Spit it out. She married or something?" He snapped and the other man turned to look at him, voice low.

"Josh, after what you did, I don't think anyone in this town'll ever marry her," he hissed, the anger evident and for a moment Josh wondered if he'd heard wrong.

"What the hell are you talking about Daniel?" Josh growled, stepping closer to the other man.

"You fucked her and left, Josh. You destroyed her reputation. People here judge that shit." He snapped angrily, sidestepping him easily.

Josh grit his teeth, glaring daggers at the man's back as his hand moved to rest on his gun. "That's not my fault. She knew I was leaving," he ground out and Daniel turned on him.

"Did you pay her?" He accused, eyes flirting down to where Josh's hand rested and fury filled his veins.

"That had better be a joke, Daniel." He warned, forcing himself to take his hand off his gun and clenching his fist instead.

Daniel had no right to accuse him and what he was implying was downright insulting. He wouldn't have ever done that to Myra and Daniel oughta have known that.

"Did you, Josh? I don't wanna believe it but people talk and sometimes talk makes sense. Her daddy may have left her the saloon when he passed but we all knew she didn't have enough money to keep it going. She was gonna sell it and we all knew it. But then suddenly she comes up with just enough money after you spend a night with her. See the problem?" He challenged and it took everything in Josh to relax and not punch his friend right there in the street.

"I didn't use her, Daniel. Remember the poker match? I forgot the money when I left. Legally speaking, she stole it. I swear." He murmured earnestly, meeting Daniel's gaze wholeheartedly.

His angry expression melted away and he dropped his arms, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I believe you. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. I'm as much to blame," he muttered and Josh narrowed his eyes at the comment. The statement rubbed him wrong and the thought of Daniel's hands on Myra sparked his temper again. He didn't like sharing.

"I should've defended her before Tom could turn the whole damn town against her," he muttered and Josh relaxed, rolling out the tension in his shoulders as he silently scolded himself. He's had no right to get possessive over Myra. They'd spent a night together, that was all. A good night, but that had been six years ago.

He cleared his throat. "Well now you can make up for it and help me. If things are as bad as you're saying, it'll be good for me to talk to her," he nodded, taking a deep drag from his cigarette as Daniel vehemently shook his head.

"Not gonna happen. She keeps a gun in the bar for a reason and I have no doubt she'd shoot you the second she recognized you, if not sooner." He snorted.

Josh couldn't help the smile that creeped on his face. Despite what he's been told, that still sounded like the old spitfire Myra he knew.

"Daniel, trust me, she'll be glad to see me again. And if she isn't, i'll leave immediately, deal?" He proposed, dropping the cigarette butt and stepping on it as Daniel scoffed.

"I'm not even sure whether you're lying or not," he muttered, throwing his hands in the air.

"What the hell. Myra's a grown woman. She can handle you herself. I'll take you to see her but you're gonna have to wait until after the saloon closes. She doesn't need more rumors," he told Josh warningly.

Josh grinned in reply, patting Daniel on the back. "Sounds like a good plan. Now, how about we go somewhere I can get a drink?"


End file.
